24- year-old Abongwe L. Booi (Abo) is an emerging filmmaker and natural born storyteller who is dedicated to representing South African narratives. Abo completed his tertiary education at the University of Cape Town where he specialised in documentary filmmaking in his honours year.
Abo started shooting short horror movies on his father’s VLC video recorder in primary school, a dual function device that had both tape and an SD card, capable of shooting only four minutes of video at a time.
By the time Abo was in high school he realised that filmmaking was not only something he was passionate about, but also an industry that he could make a professional career out of. He would often negotiate with his teachers around assignments, and where possible, present a video or short film version of the task rather than an essay or oral.
Seven years ago when in grade nine, he started a YouTube channel. This happened when the platform was beginning to become an international powerhouse. What really spurred his interest was that he was noticing South African content creators, like the iconic Caspar Lee, where generating millions of views with their creations online.
Abo wasn’t setting out to be a YouTuber, per se, but viewed the platform as a training ground where he could practice his craft and improve his skills.
“I didn’t really care who saw the content I was putting out, it was more of a way to motivate me to keep creating, at most I was getting like 20 views,” the young talent told Cape {town} Etc.
Abo’s YouTube career evolved when he started at UCT and formed a trio called, ‘Three Fine Guys’ (TFG’s).
TFG’s operated along the lines of typical YouTuber content and was a major success in the university space with videos nearing 100 000 views!
Abo now works as a freelancer in the film industry. His technical training at university as well as his experience from outside of the classroom enables him to function as a cinematic one-man army. He’s a cinematographer, director, editor, photographer and writer.
Check out one of his incredible photographs:
In 2019, Abo created a short emphasising the importance of prioritising your mental health. The viseo is captioned: This is a piece that I’ve been working on for the past few months. I was in a super dark place a few months back and I wanted to make something that represents how I felt then. TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH FRIENDS!
WATCH: echoes — by Abongwe L. Booi.
Abo stresses that it is essential to be proficient in various fields in order to boost your employability in a highly competitive industry. His drive towards filmmaking from an early age as a result of his own frustrations; “I haven’t seen this before, I want to see it, so let’s make it happen.”
Abo hopes that one day the world will see South African superheroes and narratives that showcase the country in ways that are not bound to apartheid. He wants to move beyond the commercialised period pieces that have become the ‘accepted’ view of South Africa by the rest of the world.
“There are so many stories and experiences to be told creatively that can live and breathe in their own right that aren’t necessarily a commentary on the past. We have the capacity to be so much more.”
Abo’s advice to young aspiring filmmakers is to learn and grow through practice and play by using what you have. “You can make something really cool by just knowing how to use your phone properly in a way that shows that you are a technically capable storyteller, but starting is the hardest part.”
So, if you’re a young Capetonian with a passion for film, be like Abo and just start! We can’t wait to watch you soar…
- Website: artisticintentproductions.com
- YouTube: youtube.com/abobooi
- Instagram: @abobooi
#MadeinCapeTown
Also read:
How writing poetry can help you heal your mental health according to a psychologist
Pictures: Supplied / Instagram
